Academic Appeals Frequently Asked Questions for UK students
I am based at one of the University's international campuses. What do I need to do to appeal?
I had some extenuating circumstances in Semester 1 but I was too embarrassed to tell anyone about them unless I had to so I decided to wait and, if I wasn't happy with my results, put in an appeal.
Extenuating circumstances are NOT grounds for an appeal. You will simply be advised to refer your case to your School. The extenuating circumstances policy states that there must be 'good and reasonable cause' why you didn't submit an extenuating circumstances claim at the appropriate time. Being embarrassed is not a good and reasonable cause – the extenuating circumstances will still be embarrassing later.
I felt that the mark I received in one piece of work should have been higher as I worked really hard - which ground for appeal should I appeal under?
Disagreeing with academic judgement does not constitute grounds for appeal. 'Academic judgement' includes the mark, the pass or fail decision, the grade etc given by the person who is marking the piece of work.
You may think that the work has been set and marked by one individual, in isolation. However it is usual for the School to operate safeguards such as more than one person involved in 'verification' - which is in relation to the question paper or the essay title in the first place - and 'moderation' – where after marking has taken place work may be checked to make sure that the assessment and marking schemes have been applied . Each School has a policy in this area which normally will also include an external examiner being involved in both the verification and moderation processes.
If you are unhappy or disappointed with the mark you receive for a piece of work, you should seek feedback in line with the University’s feedback policy which may help you to understand how the mark was arrived at.
How long do I have to submit an academic appeal?
You must submit notice of appeal within one month of notification of the decision of the Board of Examiners. You should use the appeals form. Make sure that you read the form carefully and provide all the information requested. It is your responsibility to make the case, and to make it clearly; reviewers cannot make assumptions – you must spell out the cause and effect for them.
Your appeal should be submitted to Academic Processes, Academic Services Division, E Floor, Portland Building, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
Who can I speak to for more advice about my appeal?
Staff in the Student Advice and Representation Centre work for the Students’ Union and are independent. They will be able to advise first on whether they think that you have a case and, if so, on submitting an academic appeal. If what you need is advice on the operation of the procedure then the Secretary to the Academic Appeals Committee can be contacted. If this is the case, please e-mail academic-appeals@nottingham.ac.uk.
How long will it take for my appeal to be resolved?
As each appeal is different there are no general guidelines as to how long an appeal will take to resolve, but you will be kept up to date at each stage of the appeal. We aim to let students know the outcome of their appeal as quickly as possible.
How will my appeal be considered?
The first formal stage of the procedure is a review by the Secretary to the Academic Appeals Committee. The Secretary will check the appeal against the grounds for appeal, and may:
The Secretary will consider the student’s written appeal submission, and may:
a) request clarification/further information from the student prior to making a recommendation;
b) request clarification/information from the decision making body prior to making a recommendation;
and then, either
c) reject submissions which do not demonstrate sufficient grounds for appeal; or
d) request that the decision making body provide a formal, written response.
For those applications which meet the grounds for appeal once the Secretary has received a written response to the Student’s case from the decision making body, a member of the Academic Appeals Committee will be asked to review the appeal and make a recommendation on whether or not the appeal should go forward to a hearing. If the member considers that you do not have valid grounds for further consideration of your appeal, your appeal will terminate at this point.
If the member of Academic Appeals Committee recommends that your appeal goes to a hearing the Secretary to the Academic Appeals Committee will make arrangements for the hearing to take place.
What happens at an Academic Appeals Committee hearing?
The Panel at a hearing is usually made up of two members of the Academic Appeals Committee and one Student Representative. The members of the Academic Appeals Committee will not have had any prior involvement with your case. The Student Representative is an elected member of the University of Nottingham Students’ Union. In some cases it is not possible for a Students’ Union Representative to be on the Panel, for example during exam periods. In these cases a third member of the Academic Appeals Committee will complete the Panel.
Before the hearing all attendees, including the School Representative, will be sent a complete copy of all papers relating to the appeal. On the day of the appeal the Chair will ensure that both you and the School have the opportunity to state your case and ask questions of each other. The Panel’s decision will be made on the basis of information available to them on the day.
You may be accompanied to the hearing by a supporter of your choice. Many students choose to ask the Students’ Union Education Adviser to accompany them.
Can an Appeals Committee raise my grade?
The Committee can require that the recommendation be reconsidered in the light of its findings at the hearing, and may either refer the case back to the original decision making body or to the Chair of the Quality and Standards Committee, depending on the circumstances of the appeal.
I am a PGR student and I feel that the supervision I received was inadequate and that this is why my thesis has not been accepted. What evidence do I require to be granted the right to resubmit.
This type of issue falls into the category of a complaint and should be made at the time of the difficulty. It is about your interaction with a member of staff, not about the assessment process. You may raise a complaint about the quality of the supervision through the complaints procedure. It is usual for PGR students to raise concerns about their supervision prior to submission of their thesis.
If I am still not satisfied, can I appeal to the OIA?
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your appeal, you may be able to complain to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) providing that your complaint is eligible under its Rules. You should read their leaflet 'Introduction to the Student Complaints Scheme' if you think you may wish to do this. Remember that the OIA expects students to have exhausted the University’s procedures before they can investigate a case.
I have an ongoing appeal. Can I still continue on my programme of study?
If there has been a decision to terminate your programme of study, then you are no longer a registered student of the University and therefore will not be able to collect your grant or apply for a student loan. It may be sensible for you to try to keep up with your studies in the hope that your appeal will be successful. Your School may assist you in this, e.g. by allowing you to continue attending lectures or clinical placements, but this is at their discretion. In order to minimise any difficulties arising from this situation, we will make every effort to process your appeal as quickly as possible. However, it is essential that proper consideration be given to your appeal to ensure that the correct decision is made; in some cases this will inevitably take some weeks to achieve. Your assistance in providing information as concisely and as clearly as possible will help things progress as smoothly as possible.
If you are a finalist, please see the Quality Manual for more information about appeals for degree classifications.
I have concerns about the standard of teaching I have received or about a service provided by a support division - what should I do?
It is very unlikely that these concerns will constitute grounds for appeal. Remember that an appeal is about the point at which the Board of Examiners made a decision about your progress; however you may wish to make a complaint about the level of service received. You should wherever possible seek to resolve these informally with the person or persons best able to do so. If informal resolution is not possible you may wish to make a formal complaint, in which case you may find the University Complaints Procedure helpful.